Goodbye, Mod Motors

  • Thread starter Thread starter Slash
  • 20 comments
  • 1,010 views
Slash

Slash

POWER BY FORD
Premium
Messages
34,949
United States
Indian Falls, NY
Messages
slashfan7964
The last 4.6L V8 from Ford has rolled off the line today. Ford has since discontinued it and the 5.4L engines in favor of the new, more modern Coyote modular engines.

The Mods have left a pretty big impact on motoring in the last 20 years, so this is a pretty bold move by Ford. I hope the new engines will last much longer and I hope the V8 sticks around. By the looks of it, Ford may be the first to abandon V8 engines all together in a few years time.

I was never a huge fan of the engines, but I can respect them. Rest in peace.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/ford-rolls-final-4-6-liter-v8-assembly-line/
 
Zenith
Well it's not like the newer Coyotes are much different. This is hardly the end or beginning of an era for Ford
Click to expand...
No they aren't, but it's a significant departure given everything they have been in and what Ford is going towards now with "Ecoboost" technology.

They have also dropped the 6.2L V8 in favor of the 5.0L and V6 engines. Given that V6 diesels are in development, I wouldn't doubt that in 10 years they drop V8s all together and go with I4 and V6 diesels in everything, including trucks, in order to meet federal regulations.
 
BKGlover
As long as there is a Mustang, a V8 will be an option. You, of anyone, should know that.
Click to expand...
This. The day that Ford V8's cease to exist is the day that the Mustang is only something of the past, even if they keep selling it.
 
BKGlover
As long as there is a Mustang, a V8 will be an option. You, of anyone, should know that.
Click to expand...

I agree on this. The Mustang will always have a V8 engine, that's a given. Even Ford themselves said they cannot take a manual transmission away from it, so I don't think dropping the V8 will happen.


I was referring to other vehicles in Fords lineup. I don't think it would be too far out to say that almost everything else Ford will put out in the 10 years will drop the V8 option.
 
Last edited:
Ford are just following a trend that all automakers around the world are doing, down-sizing their engine lineup in favor of better fuel economy. It isn't just any kind of federal regulations that are driving this, petroleum is a non-renewable resource, one that built up over the course of the Earth existing, and in the short time period that people have learned to use it, we have nearly depleted all of it.

The near future of cars are not going to have big engines for long, they will have to have smaller, efficient engines with a mostly electric drive system.

Trust me, it isn't all doom-and-gloom.
 
Ford already made a no-V8 Mustang, back in 1974. When they reintroduced the V8 it was barely worth it, and it also had no manual option. It wouldn't be unprecedented if the Mustang fell to the ruthless downsizing that's plaguing the rest of Ford's lineup. Remember the basic Modular, at 281 ci, already wasn't a very big engine.

This wouldn't be such a problem if anyone considered downsizing and decontenting the cars themselves to be an option. But I guess it would just be inhuman and horrible to expect anyone to do without touchscreen voice-activated infotainment (with redundant steering wheel-mounted controls, because it's unsafe to use the screen on the move), or to change gear themselves, even on an L-cheapo economy car. Heavier cars, smaller engines, exactly the opposite of how it should be done but exactly the way everyone is doing it.
 
White & Nerdy
Ford already made a no-V8 Mustang, back in 1974. When they reintroduced the V8 it was barely worth it, and it also had no manual option. It wouldn't be unprecedented if the Mustang fell to the ruthless downsizing that's plaguing the rest of Ford's lineup. Remember the basic Modular, at 281 ci, already wasn't a very big engine.

This wouldn't be such a problem if anyone considered downsizing and decontenting the cars themselves to be an option. But I guess it would just be inhuman and horrible to expect anyone to do without touchscreen voice-activated infotainment (with redundant steering wheel-mounted controls, because it's unsafe to use the screen on the move), or to change gear themselves, even on an L-cheapo economy car. Heavier cars, smaller engines, exactly the opposite of how it should be done but exactly the way everyone is doing it.
Click to expand...

How much do you think an infotainment system weighs?
 
The no V8 Mustang in 1974 was a US thing. Mexico still got it so I would say it never was made without one.

When they reintroduced the V8, nothing changed. It was faster than the previous car it was installed in just over shadowed by the big blocks. In fact in was 2-3 seconds faster 0-60 because of the weight reduction. But everyone forgets that because big block cars were doing 0-60 at 5-6 seconds so that made the II look bad when really it was faster than previous models equipped with a 302.



The 4.6L may have less displacement but the engine is a monster in size compared to a 302.
 
Zenith
How much do you think an infotainment system weighs?
Click to expand...

I don't know, but there has to be a reason beyond just "more safety" that FF compact cars weighing over THREE THOUSAND POUNDS exist now. Even you must admit that that's way too much and some sacrifices in equipment will have to be made to get that figure back down below 2750 at the heaviest (which is still heavier than my car with its iron V6 and the heaviest doors in human history).
 
White & Nerdy
I don't know, but there has to be a reason beyond just "more safety" that FF compact cars weighing over THREE THOUSAND POUNDS exist now. Even you must admit that that's way too much and some sacrifices in equipment will have to be made to get that figure back down below 2750 at the heaviest (which is still heavier than my car with its iron V6 and the heaviest doors in human history).
Click to expand...

The majority of it is safety and comfort.

An infotainment system weighs practically nothing over a standard stereo, that's the neat thing about electronics. What you're complaining about is not the culprit.

As far as there being "too much" sacrifices in the name of equipment, the demand for light cars isn't there. People who want light cars aren't buying them from manufacturers, they're buying used cars. People who buy from manufacturers want ones with safety and equipment.

Besides, advances in powertrain technology make the weight a helpful addition and advances in tire, brake, chassis, and suspension tech have tamed the mass penalties. Modern cars with all of their shameful equipment and safety features can still outpace older equivalents.
 
What happens when all the ligheter, older cars run out? We've already seen the muscle cars of the 60's become unattainable to the average entry-level buyer due to collectors and restorers driving up the prices, what happens when that happens to the last of the now-10-20 year old lighter cars?
 
White & Nerdy
What happens when all the ligheter, older cars run out? We've already seen the muscle cars of the 60's become unattainable to the average entry-level buyer due to collectors and restorers driving up the prices, what happens when that happens to the last of the now-10-20 year old lighter cars?
Click to expand...

Assuming demand remains the same, buyers looking for light cars will start to look towards manufacturers. If the light cars these buyers desire aren't available, they have only themselves to blame.

But we know that manufacturers are listening. Look at the FRS/BRZ, look at the new Mustang, look at the entire Lotus brand.

If you want manufacturers to build light cars, you need to buy light cars from them. It's not rocket science.
 
Why are we saying goodbye to the Modular motors when the Coyote is literally built on the same assembly line using the same tooling as the 4.6? Spec for spec, the one they put in the Continental probably had just as many differences (if not more) to the 16v 4.6/24v 5.4 that just went out of production as the Coyote does; but that was considered part of the Modular family all the same.
 
Last edited:
White & Nerdy
What happens when all the ligheter, older cars run out? We've already seen the muscle cars of the 60's become unattainable to the average entry-level buyer due to collectors and restorers driving up the prices, what happens when that happens to the last of the now-10-20 year old lighter cars?
Click to expand...
This isn't as true as it seems unless an entry level buyer to you is someone who wants a real pristine piece of work but can only afford $50,000. I was watching Mecum today at work, and even an old '67-'69 bodystyle Yenko Camaro went for under $35,000. Muscle cars are more than affordable if you're not after a garage queen/show model.
 
It helps that most of the ones that go for six figures are always the ones that come with the especially rare options packages that nostalgia pretends all of them came with. A numbers matching Cobra Jet Mustang or Hemi Barracuda is going to do "huge" numbers no matter what the condition is when the bidding frenzy starts.


A same year Mustang with a 302 or a 318 Barracuda? Cost a tenth as much.
 
Last edited:
@Tornado Isn't the 318 kind of a sucky engine though? Even with modification factored in?

Although, if you could get the 340 in a normal non-AAR Barracuda, that might do nicely.

@CarBastard The first two are fine but can we please skip the exhaust gas recyclers? Even when they work right, they're wrong.
 
You could, and it was easily the best engine you could get in the Barracuda if you didn't want to shell out for a AAR (until the 360 came along). I was merely using the examples of the entry level V8 engines for both cars as the decade came to a close.
 
White & Nerdy
@Tornado Isn't the 318 kind of a sucky engine though? Even with modification factored in?

Although, if you could get the 340 in a normal non-AAR Barracuda, that might do nicely.

@CarBastard The first two are fine but can we please skip the exhaust gas recyclers? Even when they work right, they're wrong.
Click to expand...
The 318 is the motor everyone thinks of as a truck motor. Yes it sucked stock just as almost everything else did by they respond well to light modding. $$$ decides how fast you go.

I have personally seen well built 318s outrun 426 Hemis, 440s, LS6 454s and Ford 460s. $$$ is the deciding factor. 318s are going to be cheap because they are everywhere. 318s are like the 350 Chevy/Ford 302 of Mopar. Tie that to the fact 340s and 360s are very where as well and they accept almost all the same parts it makes the 318 a very capable engine considering they use the same block. Saying a 318 sucks is stupid because that mean the rest of them did too and while the sTate of tune did very over time from the factory you can easily make up and then some for the loss. Its very easy to make those engines scream.


You buy a muscle car with your brain not with your heart or you are going to get screwed something fierce. You can take a turd small block car and turn it into a fire breather with a big block from anther car and still make it incredibly better than anything offered at the factory. Look at pro touring cars. Its not hard to replicate older muscle cars into something they aren't. I can't tell you how many LeMans to GTO conversions I have seen.
 

Latest Posts

Back